


Blank Space

by JuneJulySeptember



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: BAMF Katara, Becase why not, Drabble, F/M, Fun, Gen, Katara and Zuko are hot fire and I must explore their relationship, She's awesome, mature content, probably, who are we kidding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-11-14 13:44:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18053618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuneJulySeptember/pseuds/JuneJulySeptember
Summary: Prompt: What if the spirits had a hand in nudging Katara and Sokka towards Aangs' iceberg four years before Sozin's comet? Everyone is the same age at the beginning but the timeline is extended by four years.OrAnother 'what if' aged up rewrite that gives me an excuse to dissect all of Katara's and Zuko's interactions and live vicariously through them!





	1. Chapter 1

Flashes of pain bloomed down her arms and back as Katara desperately tried for another push-up. No good. Cold ice and snow bit into her cheek when it temporarily collided with the ground. Shit. Don’t stop. Can’t hold still for long or—

“Pupil Katara,” Master Pakku drawled, in his most irritating ‘I’m superior to you in every way’ voice. “If you are unable to continue in time with the other trainees, kindly do not embarrasses us all by drooling on the glacier. Though your efforts to single handedly create a lake are duelly noted and appreciated.”

Snickers and snorts erupted all around the circle, blending with grunts of excursion. Young men in the vicinity desperately tried to keep pushing their bodies away from the ice in a stead up and down rhythm, fighting the laughter with effort. Say what you would about Master Pakku, he didn’t play favorites with his caustic, whip-like humor. Everyone received at least a few lashes. Katara just happened to receive more than most.

Crawling back out of the circle, Katara reluctantly let another student—fresh from a break—take her place. Under layers of fur, Katara was hot and clammy despite the chill in the air, her chest heaving with exertion. She hated this exercise. Over the past few weeks, bending training had taken on a distinct pattern. Forms, technique, and sparring—which she excelled at—were exceedingly satisfying and surprisingly fun days. Sparring especially. It was amazing how slow attacking Waterbenders felt when compared with the rapid advance of Firebenders. Except Aang of course: he was faster than anyone she knew and sparring with him always left her breathless. Unfortunately, these blissful days were horribly interspersed with strength training days, for which she was relegated to the company of the twelve-old-boy class, being too “grossly undersized” to keep up with the men in the group she usually accompanied. Bah.

“Enough.” Pakku finally called, pacing in front of a group of older students, far enough away now that Katara had to strain to hear him in the loud practice yard.

“Go clean yourselves up. Your bending skills may be abysmal by I expect you at least know how to do that. Groups Tigerseal and Penguin meet back here an hour prior to dinner for a special assignment.” The way he said this last part, with a smirk in her teams’ direction, suggested that this would not be a pleasant task. 

With a humph, Katara levered her leaden body of the ice and followed the train of young men out of the courtyard. Following them back to the barracks for hot showers was unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, not an option. Katara forced her abused body into a gentle trot as she made her way just a few blocks over to Yugoda’s hut for her healing lesson.

Katara found now that she was finally able to learn Waterbending from a real teacher, one wasn’t enough. She wanted more. Craved it. Chased after it in the same inexorable and greedy way the sun chased the moon. Learning how to bend was exhausting, and thrilling and difficult and more wonderful than Katara had ever imagined. It filled her with an unquenchable torrent of excitement. 

Coming to a halt outside the large hut used as a classroom for the Healers, Katara smoothed a hand over her sweaty face and caught her breath. She waved to a few of the young women she’d made acquaintance with over the weeks as they entered the hut. Not friends, exactly. None of the woman here except Yugoda looked at her with anything but reserve. She was breaking the rules after all. Their disdain hurt, Katara couldn’t pretend it didn’t, but some things were more important. Like protecting Aang and Sokka. Though Sokka it seemed was becoming more and more a warrior in his own right when he too had a real mentor… and regular meals… and a bed.

After months of travel, of constant fear, of ducking in and out of traps and constantly evading the Firenation, it was such a relief to be in one place for a while.

 

After a stimulating lesson on scalp care, involving tiny, terrifying insects that could apparently live in your hair of all things, Katara finally made her way back to the small family hut she shared with Aang and Sokka. Her brother was just struggling out of his boots when she pushed aside the entrance flap made of sturdy leather and fur. 

“Where’s Aang?” She asked automatically. He was usually home when she got back.

Sokka shrugged, “Playing with Momo? How should I know?” He threw a shoe down with what had lately become his usual surly demeanor. Another bad day at training, then… or the Princess had looked at him and then looked a way in an “I hate you kind of way” or some other such nonsense. Katara sighed and moved to begin removing her own boots, firmly placing ‘placate Sokka’ at the bottom of her to do list, before she remembered. “Oh! Master Pakku!” 

Sokka’s surprised “Wha—” barely reached her as she raced back out the door. She had been doing so well, damn it! It had been weeks since that first day when she’d been late. She arrived just in time to receive an enthusiastic “Hey Katara!” from Aang and a saturnine stare from Master Pakku. She didn’t try to respond to his quirked eyebrow, since her breaths, gasping out in clouds all around her, left no room for words.

“Since Pupil Katara has finally deigned to join us, she can have the place of honor. At the front.” Pakku said firmly. Aang grimaced and several of the young men assembled smiled sharply. Oh this couldn’t be good. She didn’t even know what the special assignment was. Instead of panicking or griping about the unfairness of it all, as she had been want to do those first few days in the Northern Water Tribe, Katara swallowed her protests and walked up to stand where Master Pakku indicated. She had learned his style by now. He said and did things to get a rise out of her or to get her to think. Since their initial, and admittedly one sided, fight Katara had worked very hard to listen to everything Master Pakku said, absorbing new information as quickly as possible. Apparently this was the right choice because though his face revealed nothing as she came to stand by him, Katara could swear she saw a tinkle of approval in his eyes.

He grin was sharp and wolfish as he turned back to the assembled men. “Let’s take a trip to the tunnels, shall we?”

 

Katara had only been in the maze of tunnels a handful of times and she had never been in the veritable nest of passages that constituted the drains under the Palace at the center of the city. But Pakku insisted she lead, gesturing her forward with a ‘you asked for this’ wave of his hand. She took a gulp of stagnant air and plunged down into the icy depths, Aang a comforting presence behind her.

 

* * *

 

 

“Wait, you had to what?” Sokka threw back his head in laughter as Katara rueful bent the last of the water from her freshly washed hair.

“There was a back-up and we all worked together to unclog the drain, nothing embarrassing about it.” Aang atoned, his usual kindness slightly muffled by the furs he already had pulled up past his chin.

“Was that really all that happened?” Sokka quirked a brow “You and Pakku in an enclosed place together sounds like a recipe for disaster.” He mumbled under his breath, readjusting furs so that Katara could slide in on his other side. The nights were deadly cold at the poles and sharing body heat was essential.

“No it really wasn’t so bad. I don’t think he expected me to be able to find the blockage but it was just like when Yugoda has me search for blockages of chi in the human body. I just felt the tension, the—the build up of the water I guess” Katara tried to explain as she settled in, immensely satisfied by the warmth radiating from the other two and slowly seeping into her own section of the bed. 

“Huh. Weird.” Was Sokka’s elegant reply as he blew out the lamp at their heads and plunged them all into immediate, exhausted slumber.

 

* * *

 

 

A few more weeks passed on this way, Aang and Katara training their bodies to move like water, Sokka learning combat and strategy and all the ways to not woo a woman. Anytime the subject of the Princess was brought up Aang and Katara would exchange sly grins or exasperated eye-roles depending on the success or failure or shear stupidity of Sokka’s schemes. Four months into their stay, the Winter Solstice came and went without any messages from past Avatars.

“It’s probably a good things, Aang, you’re working as hard as you can and Roku knows that.” Katara soothed as the antsy Avatar paced a melting path in the sitting room of their hut.

“Yeah, the spirits probably got together and decided that, in fact, four years is not enough time for a kid to master all four elements and that they’re just gonna destroy Sozin’s Comet themselves before it even gets here.” Katara shot her brother a scathing look which he completely missed as he was lying on his back, gazing up at the scroll in his hands.

The sarcasm didn’t even seem to penetrate Aang’s mental spiral. “We took too long to get here. When Roku first told me about the comet I thought we’d have enough time but it’s already been almost a year since you first found me!” Aang’s nervous energy was starting to manifest in the form of little eddies of wind around his feet.

“Right but there were a lot of obstacles between us and the North Pole. No one could have anticipated Zuko… or Zhao, for that matter. We got here as fast as we could.” Katara’s calming tone seemed to get through to him at last.

His thin shoulders slumped slightly, like wind falling out of a sail. “Yeah I guess.” He capitulated but Katara didn’t feel like she’d won anything.

“Besides,” Sokka added, finally looking up. “I told you we needed to save more time for Firebending because who knows how long it will take for us to actually find you a master again. Even if we know Jon Jon is out there.” He added sternly when both Katara and Aang looked like they were about to protest.

“Focus on water for a few more weeks, it doesn’t matter if you master it right now, remember? You just have to develop the basic skills here and then you can keep practicing in the earth kingdom.” He shrugged and went back to reading, as if mastering the four elements was that easy. Aang and Katara exchanged weary glances and moved to prepare for bed.

 

* * *

 

 

Finding Aang in the iceberg was the best thing that ever happened to Katara, maybe the best thing that happened to the world. He was so full of life and happiness; it wasn’t fair that so much pressure was placed on him.

The look of utter devastation on his face after he’d destroyed twelve consecutive Fire Navy ships was something that should never have crossed his kind features.

Yue’s entreaties hurt him even more. Katara saw the moment he curled in on himself, trying to block out the death, the responsibility, the weight.

“We’ll find a way, Aang.” Katara had whispered to him after a time. “Together.”

She didn’t know when he’d become her responsibility. It didn’t matter. His cares were hers, his fears where hers, and if the earth was threatening to crush him under it’s weight, she would help him lift it up.

 

* * *

 

 

“Is he ok?” Yue’s voice, high and querulous with strain, automatically triggered Katara’s soothing instincts.

“Yes this is what we wanted.” She glanced at Aang’s glowing tattoos with a slight proud smile. “He’s fine as long as we don’t move his body. That’s his way back to the physical world.”

 “Maybe I should get help?” There was an almost hysterical note in her voice now. Katara frowned.

 “No. We don’t want to pull any soldiers from the walls. Besides,” Katara spread out a hand in a gesture vaguely indicating all the massive, icy structures separating them from the Fire Navy. “If someone does get this far, I’m perfectly capable of protecting Aang on my own.”

“Well, aren’t you a big girl now?” A raspy voice called, out freezing Katara’s heart.

“No.” Katara spun around, unable to keep the dawning horror from her face or voice.  _I’ll save you from the pirates._

“Yes.” Prince Zuko grinned back evilly as he stalked out of the shadows. Bruises and cuts marred the parts of his face that weren’t already covered in old scar tissue. “Now hand over the Avatar and I won’t hurt you or your brother.”

Katara grit her teeth as old and new anger broiled within her. How, how, how? She screamed in her head even as the Fire Prince attacked and Yue ran for help. It made sense, a dizzy part of her brain said traitorously, if anyone could make it this far it was _him_. But Zuko looked battered and exhausted. Clearly, it hadn’t been easy. For a bizarre, twisted moment as they struggled, Katara wanted to offer him warm food and a place to lie down. Especially after the third time his back slammed into the dirt and he got up just a little slower. He was hurting, that much was obvious.

“I see you learned a new trick…” He surreptitiously wiped at a leaking wound on his chin. “But I didn’t come this far to lose to you.”

Katara wanted to shout out ‘Too bad!’ but then the Prince got close, far, far too close. They were exchanging blows almost hand to hand. Pakku always said that was her weakest skill. Panicked, Katara backed away and Zuko took the opportunity to dodge around her and reach for Aang. Fear, anger and indignation all somehow compounded into perfect wheeling motions as Katara advanced on Zuko, forcing him back into the stream bead, encasing him in ice. It all seemed to flow so smoothly. No thought. Just the absolute need to defend, coupled with a new and startlingly powerful familiarity with her natural element.

“You little peasant,” Muttered the Prince. She saw him squint at her through the ice. “You’ve found a master, haven’t you?” Scorn was thick in his voice as steam rose from all around him. She should have expected it. Should have known he could break out quickly if he wanted, she just didn’t expect him to be so fast! He exploded from the little ice prison she’d made for him and advanced on her without reservation. Apparently, he’d always been holding back before. The change was startling. She would have been overwhelmed immediately if not for the countless hours she’d spent drilling with Aang he was much faster, after all.

He came at her like a charging bull and Katara moved like the swirling back eddy of a river, shifting out of his path and letting him stumble again into the twin streams that surrounded their dueling ground. Summoning up all the water in her vicinity, Katara slammed it into him in a relentless torrent. Maintaining the taxing surge until his head finally slumped in unconsciousness then freezing the entire inverted waterfall brought Katara to her knees gasping and struggling to blink away the black dots clouding her vision. She glanced up to check that his eyes were in fact still closed then she stumbled over to check on Aang. He looked fine. Tattoos still glowing… face untroubled. Her vision wavered slightly, a sharp persistent pain beginning to build behind her eyelids and on various singed points up and down her body. Muggy thoughts sounding suspiciously like Sokka’s voice reminded her that these were the preliminary signs of shock and battle fatigue. But no, that couldn’t be right. The fight had been rather short, all things considered. She tried to shake her head and found that only increased her dizziness. She’d faced scarier things than Zuko after all. Not many, sure. But…

A sharp hissing sound alerted Katara to danger just a few seconds too late to completely defend from an angry ball of flame. The resulting explosion of water and fire propelled her back, snapping her head and neck into the wooden post behind her with a sickening crunch. There was an explosion of pain and color behind her eyes and Katara knew no more.

 


	2. A night by the fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet

“Woah you sing? Who would have thought you would do something so… unmanly.” Toph’s voice was its customary mix of derision and sarcasm but there was an odd flush to her cheeks as those milky eyes turned down in the direction of Sokka’s feet. Interesting. The young man in question, who had been singing quietly under his breath whilst cleaning Katara’s latest catch—a combination that was a rather common site around their camp—sat up blinking, looking utterly nonplussed.

“Of course I sing! What do you mean, “unmanly”? Singing is incredibly manly. Only men are even allowed to sing that song! It’s traditional.” His nostrils flared and it was Tophs turn to blink in surprise. The firelight danced over her face as Aang poked at the small blaze and a slight wrinkle formed in her brow.

“Back home, music was considered a woman’s art. My dad never participated but he and my mom insisted that I learn something. Stupid stringy thing.” She muttered with a petulant kick at a nearby pebble. It flew too far to be entirely natural.

“Oh really? What can you play? Guqin? Pipa? Pipa’s were always my favorite because you can move around while playing them.” Aang mimed what Katara assumed was an instrument, with one hand wiggling at his waist and the other swinging by his shoulder.

“Guzheng.” Toph answered shortly. “Because my mom played it when she was a girl. But I wasn’t very good and being so close to the vibrations when they are out of sync like that was the worst.” She shuddered in remembered revulsion.

“Hmm, well, we don’t use string instruments in the South. They had them up north but…” Sokka shrugged, brandishing his bloodied cleaning knife, attention mostly returned to the fish he was boning. “We just didn’t have the same resources. Just drums, flutes and our voices.”

“And our feet.” Katara added with a hint of pride, her eyes far away from the pot she was stirring. Dance and song around the fire was both sacred tradition, used for every kind of ceremony from wedding to funeral, and an entertaining, casual occurrence in the South Pole. “Sometimes we do it just to stay warm.” She added. Which was true. One winter, during a particularly nasty storm, she’d begged frostbite and convinced her parents to host an impromptu family gathering. Her motivation may have been more out of sheer boredom than actual chill but that was an unimportant detail.

“Dancing? Really? Could you show me something? You’ve never shown me any traditional Southern Watertribe dances before.” Aang’s grey eyes took on the familiar image of a water pool in moonlight. They shined as he leapt up and took her hand.

“Umm maybe after we eat?” Katara glanced over to Sokka for help but he just wrinkled up his face up at her.

“What? No! We don’t have any drums, first of all. Second, you, he—you can’t—” The proud Watertribe warrior began to gesture wildly at the Avatar and splutter. Katara quirked a brow in amusement. She could actually see the moment of dawning horror as he realized that since Bato had initiated him, Aang could technically participate in all of their traditions. All of them, including any one of the traditional, courting dances that usually followed a request similar to the one the barely fourteen-year-old Avatar had just unwittingly made.

“Aang can’t what? Participate? Did you just remember that he is officially a member of the Watertribe? Privy and honor bound to observe all of our traditions.” Katara smirked, unable to stop herself from baiting her brother. The moment was made even more enjoyable by the fact that neither Toph nor Aang had picked up on the protective tilt of Sokka’s anxieties. How could they have? Dancing was probably just dancing in their cultures.

“Well, what about her.” Sokka thrust an accusatory finger at Toph. “We certainly can’t do anything with her around.” He seemed quite proud of himself for coming up with this clever solution.

“Oh Toph is part of the family now.” Katara said with a shrug. “She can watch. And even join in, if you want.” She added to Toph, not wanting to leave her out of the fun. The other girl grinned back slyly. Whatever else might be going on, Toph was clearly up for harassing Sokka.

“Sure.” She chirped, uncrossing her arms. “Sounds fun to me.”

Gratifyingly, Sokka spluttered some more and Katara and Toph both broke into peels of laughter. Aang just shook his head at them, returning to his arrangement of vegetables and, deeming them suitably chopped, added them to the pot of rice.

Katara shook her head, still grinning as she returned her attention to cooking. “Don’t worry, Sokka, we won’t do any of the ceremonial dances. We can do some of the group and kid ones. It’ll be fun!” She grinned, warming up to the idea. It would be so nice to share a little bit of home with… well, their new family. She could just imagine how some of their forms would look with Aang’s graceful, tilting steps.

“Besides,” She added thoughtfully, “We were so eager to learn the Northern dances that we hardly ever practiced our own while we were up there. It’ll be nice to do the old steps.”

Sokka muttered angrily but said no more. Taking out his energies on the poor fish in his lap, instead. Obviously relieved Katara wasn’t going to be dancing with _just_ Aang. They applied themselves to the cooking. It was going to be a cold night, as high in the mountains as they were, so Toph busied herself making a nice little hut for them all to share, closing it in snugly around them as the light faded. It was warm and safe and large enough for Appa to feel comfortable, with a convenient hole at the apex of the roof for the wood smoke to escape.

For a brief moment, Katara experienced a flash of fear at the thought of someone seeing their large enclosure. It had been just under a month since the Firenation’s latest attempt to capture Aang. Firenation, now. Not just Zuko and his banished ship. That had been more than enough to deal with, thank you very much, but now they had to deal with his deadly sister and her impressive friends and all the advanced technological resources the Firenation had to offer. _And_ Zuko. It was all a little overwhelming sometimes.

Katara chewed thoughtfully on her lip. They would be fine for the night.

Out of fear, or maybe just prudence, they moved around almost continuously now. Not that they had ever really lingered very long before but Sokka had been the one mostly shouldering the responsibility of keeping them covert and mobile. Now they were all in agreement. Even Toph. They moved every three days, sometimes more often, and that along with the daily training made for a seamless transition of Toph into their little family. After they’d gotten over their differences in those first few rocky days, of course. The Waterbender winced in remembered guilt at how she’d treated the newest addition to their group during that terrible chase, and hastily added an extra serving of fish to Toph’s bowl.

The Earthbender had a soft spot for Sokka’s fish, Katara had noticed. And besides, Aang wasn’t eating any, so there was plenty to go around.

After eating they danced and sang that night. Aang and Toph were model students, shifting into the stamping and weaving of Watertribe movements with the ease and grace Katara would expect of two master benders. Better still, the two were a very appreciative audience, gasping and applauding when Sokka and Katara fell unthinkingly into practiced, age-old harmonies. His voice was deeper now than the pleasant tenor she remembered from their childhood and Katara found his new, deeper voice reminded her achingly of their father.

She sat with him after a while and there was an odd gleam of pride in his eyes that was probably mirrored in her own. Despite the fact that the Tribe hadn’t ever properly initiated them, they were adults now. The only two of their generation to survive to adulthood. In fact, at fifteen Katara was a year past marrying age and Sokka had passed through his coming of age almost three years ago. They had accomplished a lot, the two of them. More than she had ever dreamed possible without their parents or family to help them along. She missed them so much sometimes it was a palpable ache. Katara had to blink away water as the last few notes of their song died away. 

They had worked hard to form this new family. And between the two of them, they were going to keep it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ba Sing Sa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: It gets a bit dark in here, folks. Torture and imprisonment. And maybe a little angst.

“What’da say Momo? A cup of tea before we take these to the King?” Katara had never really anthropomorphized Momo the way Aang always did but since the rest of the gang had scattered, she found herself talking to him more and more. He chittered from her shoulder in what the waterbender took for encouragement. She smiled and they started the stroll through the compact city that would lead them to the new tea shop Katara had heard so much about from the palace staff.

The day was perfect. A light breeze wafted through the crowded city streets and Katara gratefully turned her face into it. She would never get used to these walls. They inhibited movement and fresh air and made her feel small. It had been over a month since they’d arrived and a little more than a week since Sokka, Aang and Toph had left her behind in this dreadful, closed off city. Things were better than they had been when the gang first arrived, obviously, what with the King _aware of the_ _war_ and all. Katara shook her head in disbelief as she absentmindedly dodged around a group of up-class children trying desperately to ruin their nice clothes. You would never find a leader of the Watertribe unaware of the state of their people. Her father always talked about action before words. That was why he had left after all: to lead his people. The Earth King seemed like a nice man and all, but Katara hoped he was the right person to be putting so much faith into. Sokka’s plans were very delicate and precise. If something went wrong, if word got out—

She took a deep breath and mentally brought her mind back to the positive. They had done well, really well. Defeating Long Fang was huge. She just had to stay focused on the plan ahead.

Katara worried her lip. It was easier to think positively with Aang around. She missed him. And Sokka and Toph and Appa. Spirits, she hadn’t realized how used to, and happy, in their company she’d grown until they left. She felt small and lonely without their chatter, their bickering, their bright smiles… Things would be so much easier if she could just track down Suki! Where had that woman lost herself? It had been a week—a whole week!—since she and the other warriors had arrived in the city and Katara hadn’t been able to see them once. Every time she visited their assigned residence, there was no one home. She’d even gone over there before the sunrise and found nothing. Not a sound or a light or a movement. Katara would have said the place wasn’t lived in if she could see through the shuttered windows.

The Earth King claimed they weren’t attending any important business that he knew of and had promised to look into it. With a gentle reprimand in his voice, for Katara’s apparent paranoia, he had sensibly suggested they were probably exploring the city and would contact her soon.

But what if they weren’t able to?

The Dai Li where such a scary unknown in this city of walls and secrets, Katara kept imagining her fiends in dungeons like the one under Lake Laogai. To her surprise when Katara had brought these fears to the Earth King, he had given her permission to inspect all Dai Li offices and residences. Free reign to look for anything suspicious, he had said with a grin. Katara had blinked. That had not been what she was expecting. One of the King’s aids gently thumped his head against a pillar, obviously exasperated with his King for entrusting this kind of responsibility with a fifteen-year-old Watertribe peasant. Trying to look reasonably solemn, and not like she was about to laugh hysterically at the crazy amount of authority she had just been handed, Katara had quickly bowed herself out of his royal presence.

 Unfortunately, her inspections amounted to nothing, not that she was very surprised. If the Earbending Dai Li agents wanted to hide something from her in this maze of a city it wouldn’t be that hard. They had done it before.

The compounding factors of missing her friends and the mystery of Suki’s whereabouts set Katara’s nerves on edge. Paranoia had never been an emotion she’d indulged in much but it was virtually impossible not to feel at a loss in this city. Especially when she was alone.

Tea. That was the trick. Lots of tea, maybe another training bout in that nice indoor pool… She took a deep, calming breath. Yes a nice cup of calming of tea before another frustrating meeting with the King and then she could create and promptly destroy as many ice sculptures as she wanted.

“Table for two please,” She said as sweetly as possible. The upper-class waitress bowed to her and said something about finding a table near the back—

“Uncle! I need two Jasmin, one Green and one Leachy!”

 

_No._

_That voice._

_No it couldn’t be._

 

“I’m brewing as fast as I can!” The old mans wrinkled face lit up in a genuine, happy smile.

 

_Not again._

 

Katara ran. Shock and terror coursed through her veins like lightening and her feet flew over the flagstones. She dodged between pedestrians through traffic and up countless flights of palace stairs. She knew it! She knew there had been something off in the city, even after all they’d done with the Drill to keep them out, the Firenaiton had still found a way in! The Kyoshi Warriors had probably been taken days ago, maybe as a way to lure Aang in? It was possible they didn’t know he had left the city yet. But if that were the case, wouldn’t they have left some clue behind to lead Aang to them in the hopes of a rescue? Ugh! It was so hard to predict what they would do. Katara ran faster up the last few stone steps, her breath coming in hard pants. It was just a few more turns to the King’s chambers, down a hall, and strait into the beautifully painted face of a Kyoshi Warrior.

  

“Suki!” Katara cried out in utter relief, “Thank goodness you’re here,” she paused to gasp and squint in the darkness of the corridor. Panic threatened to close her throat. “The Firenation has infiltrated the city! I just saw Prince Zuko and his Uncle.” 

The woman looked startled behind the paint but only for a moment. Then she stepped forward out of the shadows and instead of Suki’s happy, confident chirp, the voice that seemed to reach out to Katara through a long tunnel had a drawling, sophisticated, and horrifyingly familiar cadence.

“Really?” The woman practically purred a gleam in her eye that had Katara stumbling back and whipping out the scanty bit of water, ever present in the skin at her hip, on instinct alone. 

Her water lashed forward only to fall horrifyingly to the ground at the same time her body did. A light pinch in her shoulder was the only warning Katara had that there was even anyone else around. Toph would have known. But Katara didn’t see it coming and instead, hit the ground hard, her head smacking into the unyielding stone with an alarming crack.

Three women moved to stand over her in what should have been reassuring garb. A combination of armor and leather that Katara had greatly admired on Suki and the other warriors looks sinister now. Water soaked into her skirts but Katara could only feel it with her body not her senses. Panic and frustration turned her breathing into an uncontrolled wheeze.

“So,” The Princess drawled, “Zuzu is in the city too, huh?”

Katara’s heart was beating too fast, her body horrifyingly unresponsive, her chi blocked and inaccessible, and all she could think was _Aang, Sokka, Toph, someone, anyone_!

“I think it’s time for a family reunion.” The Princess wasn’t a tall woman and yet she seemed to tower over the others. A sinister aura, completely unique to her, exuded from her every movement and expression. 

“Oh! Are we gonna bring your brother here? That’ll be fun.” Ty Lee’s bright small was even recognizable through thick face paint. She wasn’t smirking down at Katara like the Princess, though. The braided girl looked at the dark eyed knife thrower whose impassive face gave nothing away.

“Yes it shouldn’t be too hard.” The Princess went on, her eyes still disconcertingly focused on Katara’s prone form. “Go find me a few Dai Li agents.”

The other girl chirped an affirmative and pranced off, leaving Katara feeling inexplicably abandoned with the two serious women. When the Princess knelt down closer, Katara finally got a better look at her eyes. They were tawny in color, just like Zuko’s, and they burned with an intense inner fire just like his. But there was something missing in them. Katara frowned. There was no actual heat, Katara realized, no passion, just cold calculation. 

The Princess squatted down in front of her. “Well, you’re all alone here. Your friends have scattered and that fool of a King is unlikely to know where his last meal went, let alone you, so…” She leaned closer, in what should have been a frighteningly cold voice. “No one is going to come looking for you.”

Only the menacing voice and words didn’t really have the intended effect because Katara knew that already. Knew it the moment the evil Princess had stepped out of the shadows. She was alone… had been for days. But it didn’t really matter. Aang was safe. Everyone she loved was out of the city and safe from greedy Firenation hands. The Avatar, the whole reason for them to be here in the first place, was far from any harm, learning how to best them, in fact. There was nothing for them to use as leverage against Katara.

Inexplicably, she grinned.

“That’s right, I’m alone. And you better hope Circus girl stays with you twenty-four-seven because once I recover from this, I’m coming for you.” Katara didn’t know where she found the courage but the words are spitting out of her mouth before she can stop them.

The Princess’s expression shifted minutely, apprising. “Is that so?” She tapped a perfectly manicured nail on her lips as if thinking. “My brother and Uncle have been hunting you for months, years even at this point, I imagine you’re used to failure from the royal family. Let me assuage those fears.” Her smile was sharp like daggers and Katara had to control the bolt of fear that shot through her chest. “I don’t care about the Avatar anymore, I never really did. That was just a fun exercise in irritating Zuko. If I’d wanted your precious Aang,” She said Aang’s name like she was chewing on something unpleasant, like it was beneath her to address him as a person and not a thing. “He’d be here.” She shrugged, as if that’s obvious. “Regardless, I have much bigger plans in store for the future of this city and you’re going to help me with them.”

 Katara stiffened, if that was even possible, and the Princess smiled. It was a terrifying thing.

Just then, three Dai Li agents and Ty Lee melt out of an adjoining hallway and the Princess straightened. She went about ordering them in clipped, succinct terms. Katara was restrained with rocks, unnecessarily since she still couldn't move. Circus girl must have been seriously holding back last time because instead of just her bending being gone, which was bad enough, this time Katara couldn’t even lift her head from her shoulders on her own. Two agents had to unceremoniously lift and drag her rock-weighted form as they made an awkward, covert hustle down the hallways.

Apparently, it was important that they not be seen. Katara couldn’t help gritting her teeth in disgust. If any organization in the Earthkingdom was insidious enough to help the Firenation, it was the Dai Li, but still! To betray your country this way… It was beyond Katara’s understanding. The trio of dangerous ladies disappeared and Katara was led through a maze of randomly appearing and disappearing corridors. Earthbending. Katara _tisked_ in frustration. There was no way she could replicate this path. How was she supposed to find her way out again?

Finally, the hurried scramble came to an end in an unassuming stone room. Box, actually. Calling it a room would be too generous. The two agents dumped her on the floor and proceeded to melt back through the seamless stonewalls. There were no windows and no door.

The silence was profound. Katara didn’t know if she’d ever been in a place so quiet. She could feel every rapid heart beat in her ears. It felt like being trapped under a mountain of snow. Spirits, snow would be nice right now.

Taking a deep breath, Katara wiggled her legs a little. Feeling had started coming back along the way here but to her infinite resentment, Katara still didn’t’ have enough body coordination to sit up. She focused on deep breathing, centering her chi, feeling for the blockage that Ty Lee had caused. It was an ugly mess of nerves in her shoulder. Katara tried prodding at it with her senses, shifting—

The stonewall behind her opened up and Katara whipped her head around. Four people entered: the knife thrower, the Princess and two Dai Li agents.

The agents were carrying chains.

No one said a word as the agents strung her body up with stone and metal. Her legs were still on the floor but her arms where spread and completely immobilized. She carefully kept her body limp in case she should be able to use her mobility in a surprise attack later. The agents left and Katara was alone with the two woman. Again, she felt that surprising frustrated abandonment in the chi blockers absence. If circus girl was going to go around incapacitating people for her evil mistress, she should at least watch at what happens to them afterwards.

Katara grit her teeth. The Princess grinned. Knife thrower looked stony as ever.

One perfect tiny blue flame appeared over the Princess’s index finger. 

“Where exactly did you see my brother and Uncle?” She asked almost sweetly if not for the gleaming hint of sadistic delight Katara could see in her eyes. The face paint was gone and in its place was a different kind of mask.

Katara blinked. Going off their previous conversations, it was obvious the Prince and the Princess did not work together. So why was she so interested now? Katara had assumed they would ask her questions about Aang.

“I don’t know,” She lied with a shrug. “Just on the street. It was kind of a shock.” She tried to channel Sokka’s innate sarcasm to make herself feel more in control.

The Princess’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?” She darted forward so quickly Katara almost didn’t see her. Then the waterbender felt an ice cold burning on her arm, right in the sensitive area at the crook of her elbow. Katara gasped and then hissed as she bit her lip, _hard_ , trying not to cry out. There was a palpable heat increase in response and Katara lost the battle immediately, a strangled cry escaping her lips.

“Are you sure?” The Princess purred, almost in her ear. Katara hadn’t realized she closed her eyes until that moment and mentally forced herself to open them in order to meet the eye of the Firbender that was melting her arm.

The Princess’s grin was a sharp, wolfish thing. The fire disappeared but Katara could feel the after effects already. It would probably blister—

A hand snaked out, wrapping itself around the glistening, bloody patch of skin and Katara screamed. The volume of the scream surprised even herself, it sounded like it was coming from somewhere else entirely.

“Where. Did. You. See. Them.” Each word was punctuated with a vicious twist of her hand and the pain was more intense than Katara could have imagined. Her screams echoed in the small space and she yanked in futile, animalistic strength at the chain and rock restraints. All basic plans and ideas of escape fleeing from her mind immediately. 

The hand let go of her abused arm and grabbed at her chin instead. Katara was forced to look into golden eyes that had none of the passion or desire of their twins in the Prince’s face.

“Where?” The Princess asked again quietly, gently. The effect was ruined somewhat by sharp fingernails digging into Katara’s skin. The waterbenders eyes were watering and sweat dripped from her neck. Why in the world was she enduring this for Zuko of all people?

The Princess frowned in displeasure at Katara’s none reaction and there came another flash of pain. It was from her other arm this time and it felt more like shallow cuts then burns. Katara tried not to gasp around the hand still clenched on her chin and was wildly unsuccessful. This continued in a similar trend for the rest of Katara’s life or maybe just a few minutes. Pain does funny things to one's mind. Her fervent desire to resist gradually seemed less and less important in the face of the whiny voice in the back of Katara’s head that whispered it was only Zuko. It wasn’t like the Princess was asking questions about Aang. As loath as Katara was to willingly give away anything the Princess wanted, a small part of her—small but growing larger—just wanted the pain to stop.

It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes but the Princess was nothing if not efficient. Any exposed skin on Katara’s neck and arms was pocketed by shallow cuts and many, many burns. Sweat clung to her as another tremor ran through her body. Katara still hadn’t said anything.

 Then the Princess reached past Katara’s head, pulled out the end of her braid and casually started burning the end. Coherent thought fled like a rushing wind.

 “Don’t.” Katara gasped before she could stop herself. The hair was _her_. It was part of her identity, part of her tribe. Something her mother had helped cultivate with painstaking care. Something that Katara had always taken for granted as indelibly part of herself.

 “Where are they?” The Princess wasn’t smiling anymore. She looked hungry.

 “Stop and I’ll tell you,” Katara wriggled desperately against the restraints.

 The Princess did smile then, a dark, knowing smile. “Tell me… and I might stop.”

 The fire was controlled, moving with meticulously slowness up the column of hair, consuming years of growth, of life. Katara bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood.

 “A teashop.” She finally blurted out. “A teashop here in the Upper Ring that everyone keeps talking about. The Jasmine Dragon. It’s close.” Her hair was still burning and Katara started to hyperventilate. “Please, that’s it! I saw them and came straight to the palace!”

“Where is the Avatar?” The Princess asked, eyes flinty, and Katara’s babbling mouth snapped shut like a trap. Nothing was worth that information. Not even part of her soul. The Princess eyed her speculatively; the acrid smell of burning hair clogged the air in the closed room.

 Then with deliberate slowness, she reached out and smothered the flames with the hand not still holding the smoking braid aloft. That little smirk was back on her face and Katara frowned at the Princess in confusion.

Why ask only one question about Aang if she wasn’t going to push the advantage? It was almost like—Katara’s eyes widened. It had been a test. A test to see what she looked like when telling the truth or trying to conceal it. 

Katara gapped at the other woman. The Princess had known exactly how to play her to get the information she wanted. How? How did a young woman get so good at interrogations? The answer was glaringly obvious but Katara mentally shied away from it, closing her eyes as another shudder racked her body.

 “Better.” She purred at Katara before throwing over her should, “Did you get all that?”

 The dark knife thrower stalked up next to the Princess and repeated verbatim everything Katara had said. Katara frowned. She’d almost forgotten the other girl was there.

 “Excellent. What a lovely little chat it’s been.” The Princess smirked again and sauntered over to the blank wall, which opened up to swallow them both without any obvious prompting.

 

And just like that, Katara was left alone.

 She blinked at the blank wall for a few silent minutes. Then she started thrashing. Pulling at the restraints did nothing; Katara knew that already, but maybe if she could twist them… tinges of pain shoot through her arm as she struggled and Katara growled. This was ridiculous! The cell was completely sealed to her anyway, there was no reason to keep her physically restrained as well.

 She huffed and settled in to wait.

 

The waterbender was experimenting with how much control she could have over a glob of spit when a Dai Li agent slipped into the room some hours later. Very little control, it seemed because the pathetic little clump dribbled from her chin to the floor immediately upon his entry. Katara started, embarrassed and embarrassed for being embarrassed because it didn’t matter what this jerk thought. Then Katara noticed the bucket in his hand. Oh. More embarrassment. Great.

The whole awkward process only took a few minutes. She deeply regretted the water loss, though, and briefly contemplated using the excrement as a weapon. But no sooner had she finished with the bucket, it was promptly swallowed into the stone behind her, again, without any visual prompting by the other agent. Katara squinted at the wall suspiciously. Anther earthbender was behind it… and they were watching her. Katara shivered despite herself.

Next came food, a surprisingly pleasant mix of rice and egg, which she was allowed to eat with her own, slightly charred, hands while the stone faced Dai Li watched over her. Several times she tried to engage him in conversation but his face remained impassive, grim. Even when she accused him of being a traitor, a deep insult on anyone’s honor, he said nothing. Katara frowned into her dinner.

After that she was finally, finally given some water. Wordlessly, the agent beckoned her forward and rebound her hands in stone. Then moved back to retrieve a small cup of water from a new hole in the wall. Katara’s mouth felt dry and even before the cup was brought to her lips, she contemplated only swallowing a little bit and holding a little bit in there for bending later. But it was no good. The man was incredibly stingy, barely giving her enough to wet her mouth. Katara frowned at him but if there was even the slightest bit of remorse in those stony green eyes, she couldn’t see it.

 

They moved her again. This time it’s at a much less hurried pace, as if the Dai Li agents don’t really have to worry about being seen. A pit dropped onto Katara’s stomach. That couldn’t mean anything good.

 To her infinite disappointment, their path does not lead them past any sources of water. Not even a single discarded night soil bucket! Katara huffed through her nose.

 When they deposited her in the new cell, Katara was momentarily stunned. It’s an underground cave filled with luminous crystals. They reminded her of the crystals from the cave of two lovers and she reached out battered hand to lay against the cool, smooth surface. It was a bit colder in here, much roomier than her last holding cell, but still no actual windows or doors. Pfff. Earthbenders.

 That word was starting to sound like a curse in her head.

An indeterminate amount of time passed after that. They fed her twice more and left a bucket in the corner but there was no more water. Katara’s head felt fuzzy, her tongue thick and heavy on the roof of her mouth. She tried not to think about what was happening above ground or what Azula was doing with the information Katara had spilled. She tried not to think of the placid, trusting Earth King being beaten and shoved into a cell. She tried not to think about infection from the many wounds on her arms she could heal if she just had a little water! Most of all, Katara tried not to picture Firnation troops marching into the city under the watchful eyes of Dai Li agents. That hurt far more than the burns.

“Company.” A gruff voice called down from the not quite door but area in the cave where agents usually materialized. Katara looked up in surprise. It hadn’t been nearly long enough for another meal.

A figure in Earthkingdom tumbled down the slight inclination unto the cave floor with an indignant grunt.

“Zuko!” The exclamation popped out of her mouth before she could think to stop it. It was him. Same clothes as the day she spotted him in the teashop, actually, but they weren’t as torn up and ragged as the ones he was wearing when they’d seen him and his uncle in that ghost town a few months ago.

On instinct, Katara dropped into a fighting stance. There was no water but she was far from helpless. “What are you doing here?”

He blinked up at her from his kneeling position on the floor for a minute, his mouth slightly open. Then it snapped shut and his face shuttered. “None of your business.”

He was back to his cranky, demanding self it seemed.

“Really?” Katara said in a mocking, scathing tone she usually reserved for Sokka. “Last time I checked, we were the only reason you’re ever anywhere, so I think that warrants a brief explanation.” Her hands landed on her hips as she frowned down at him. He still hadn’t made a move to stand up, just frowned at her.

“I didn’t come here for you.” He said finally, standing and glancing around their cage.

“Yeah no kidding. You came here because Azula captured you.” Katara rolled her eyes as she backed up a few steps to give him space.

The Prince flushed an angry red. “She tricked us! Ugh! That stupid—if we hadn’t—spirits I hate tea!” He started pacing, wild bursts of steam rising form his shoulders and arms. Katara stood back and just watched him with wide eyes. 

“She always does this. Just when I think I have something good, something maybe I can keep for myself, she swoops in and takes it! Every time. It’s not good enough. It’s not enough… It’s never far enough away from her.” He growled and squatted down, gaze distant and unfocused, brooding.

Katara starred. This was a totally different Prince Zuko than she’d encountered before. She’d seen him angry and shouting, sly and coaxing, determined and injured. He’d always been so driven, proud, with a firm goal in mind and the will to accomplish it, even if it seemed impossible. Now he seemed lost. Utterly frustrated. Not defeated but… floundering.

From what Aang told them, Fire Prince and his sister did not get along. That hadn’t really seemed like an important detail to Katara before but now felt the first stirrings’ of guilt in her stomach.

“Umm… I’m sorry she brought you here. It’s my fault.” He glanced over at her and she shrugged, holding up her arms as evidence. “I didn’t last very long when she started asking questions about you.”

His eyes narrowed when he took in the burns and cuts littering her arms, but he still raised a questioning eyebrow. Katara rolled her eyes. “I saw you and your Uncle at the teashope.” She explained. 

He breathed out through his nose in a snort. “It doesn’t matter. She would have found us eventually. I’m glad it was sooner rather than later. Besides,” He said with a barely there quirk of his lips. “My Uncle escaped. I won't be here long.” The old, cocky reassurance was back in his voice was and Katara couldn’t decided if she was glad about that or weary. Probably both.

“Well Toph was just visiting her mom on the other side of the city, so I wont be here for long either.” Zuko’s face was blank so she elaborated. “She’s the newest member of our… umm, group.” Katara felt weird about calling them a family in front of Zuko.

“She’s incredible. You should have seen her when we sieged the castle. The Dai Li agents’ looked like little kids compared to her bending.” She summand a smirk to shoot over her shoulder at Zuko. “No more ambushes in the night for us. Azula tried her damndest but Toph felt her coming every time.”

Zuko’s face didn’t give anything away as he settled on the floor. “Doesn’t matter.” He muttered, not looking at her. “I told you, I’m not here for your stupid, bald friend.”

Katara bristled at that. “Do you expect me to believe that? You’re _always_ after, Aang. You’ve crawled through sewers for him, burned down cities for him and now you’re telling me your done? It’s just not really you _thing_ anymore?” She sneered at him, unable to stop herself, even though she could see his shoulders curling up in defense. “Who are you trying to fool? You’re the Firelord’s son. Sowing violence and terror and hate is in your blood.”

 Something in his face seemed to snap. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

 The conversation devolved rather thoroughly from there. Shouting at each other until they were hoarse actually seemed to help a bit, calm them both. Powerless they may be but there was still satisfaction in the bit and sting of words. Though Katara did manage to feel guilty after a few shockingly personal revelations. No one was safe from the greed of the Firenation, it seemed. Not even the royal family.

After that, they were quiet for a time. Katara thought about how different her life would have been without the war, happy and peaceful. Would _his_ have been any different? Besides his mother, the family Zuko came from seems pretty messed up. At least Katara’s sibling didn’t actively try to kill her.

 “Look, I’m sorry about what I said before.”

 "It doesn’t matter.” His face was impassive.

 “It’s just…” Katara turned. “It’s just for so long now, whenever I pictured the face of the enemy, it was your face.”

 One pale hand reached up to flutter unconsciously at his ruined cheek. “My face, I see.”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.” Katara struggled to find the right words to explain how the fear of the Firenation was nothing compared to her fear of his utter determination. Other adversaries had come close, of course, but no one had so close so often as Zuko.

“No it’s ok.” His voice was softer than Katara had ever heard it. “I used to think the scare marked me as a banished Prince, doomed to hunt the Avatar forever. But now I’m realizing that I can be free of that destiny, even if I’ll never be free of my mark.”

It’s as if a huge weight was taken off Katara’s shoulders. She felt tension in the corners of her body, places she hadn’t even realized were holding tension, all release at once. If Zuok wasn’t hunting them… It almost seemed a crazy thought at that point. Against the laws of nature, like the stars hiding at night of the moon forgetting to rise. Katara almost laughed. It was such a freeing idea. She looked over at Zuko, thoughtfully.

“Maybe you could be free of it.” She finally said. His eyes widened at her. “I have healing abilities.”

 There was a subtle shift in his face, almost too quick to catch, something like hope briefly sought and quickly lost. “It’s a scare it can’t be healed.” His voice is flat, studiously impassive.

 “This,” Katara slipped the vial from around her head and stepped over to him, “Is water form the spirit oasis in the North Pole. I trust you remember that place?”

 He blinked at her, face still careful.

 “It has special properties so… I’ve been saving it for something important.” His eyes flickered down when she said that, pointedly indicating her ruined arms.

 “Something important.” She repeated firmly, holding his gaze. And in that moment, something changed between them. Looking into his eyes, she realized there was nothing in them she recognized. She didn’t know this boy at all. His eyes were curious and molten and reminded Katara of warm sand and firelight. Never had they stood so close together without exchange blows or hurtling insults. She was intensely aware of his boy in this enclosed space, his heat, the dull brown of his Earthkingdom garb, so different from his sharp Firenation uniforms. Katara frowned, trying to focus. 

“I don’t know if it would work.” She felt compelled to tell him. They were standing toe to toe now. When had he moved so close? He gazed down at her, not very far—she had grown recently—and there was no telling what was going on in his head. They could stand like that forever and she could never understand.

Then, all at once, Zuko closed his eyes and leaned towards her in permission. Katara inhaled sharply through her nose at the gesture, unsure. When he didn’t move or open his eyes she carefully set her hand on his warm, roughened cheek. The skin was tight under her fingers, the scar tissue running deep and thick over the right side of his face.

The sound of shattering rock made them both startle.

“Aang!” He looked tired but Katara raced over and threw her arms around him anyway, holding back a hiss when her burns rub on the material of his clothes.

“I thought you would be gone for longer, what are you doing here?” She pulled back, heart racing.

“Uncle, I don’t understand, what are you doing with the Avatar.” Zuko’s voice was sharp and angry again, angry and thunderous and dreadfully familiar. Katara turned to look at the elder general and his nephew, her hand still on Aang’s shoulder, one of his resting lightly on her hip.

 “Saving you, that’s what.” There was an uncharacteristic frown on Aang’s face, a stormy look that reminded her too much of the desert.

Zuko made as if to lunge at Aang but the Uncle held him back. “Go help your other friends, we’ll be right behind you.” He smiled, eyes crinkling. He talked with such a kind, gentle sincerity that Katara always found herself trusting him, despite the side he fought for and the family he defended.

Aang bowed, low and hurried. “Thank you General Iroh.” Then he grabbed Katara’s hand and made for the exit. Katara barely had time to glance back at Zuko, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. He was already far away. Katara frowned, a pit forming in her stomach, as she turned to follow Aang.

“Aang what’s going on? Where are Sokka and Toph?” They jogged down a smooth tunnel, green light a pinprick in the distance.

“They’re trying to protect the Earthking. Azula took over the Dai Li,” Aang’s face looked strained in the dark. All the effort they put into keeping the Firenation out, only to have them show up when the Gang least expected it. Katara could feel the frustration coming off of him in waves.

“We split up when the General found us and asked for help. He was worried about Zuko and we couldn’t find you, so we interrogated this Dai Li agent and he told us everything. Katara, I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner!” His face was anguished; an eye busy tracing the lattice of bruising and burns on her arms.

“Aang it’s fine. You’re here now, that’s all that matters. How—how did you even know to come back? Is your training over?” 

Aang flushed and looked away. “Umm no, not exactly. I—uhh, still have some things to learn but… I knew you were in danger! I had to come back.”

His eyes were pleading in a way that Katara couldn’t really understand. “How did you know, Aang?” 

He couldn’t seem to hold her gaze. “I—

The tunnel before them opened up and Katara gasped. It was massive and glowing and beautiful. And there was water below. Without a second thought, Katara started sprinting.

“Katara!” Aang leaped beside her, light and nimble. “We need to head for the surface.” He pointed off to her right and Katara adjust her trajectory, but still made sure there would be at least three points of contact between her and the blessed, flowing, bright, beautiful water.

As they approached, Katara didn’t even wait to reach the cannel. Indulging in the pure, visual pleasure of being with her element, she reached forward and pulled it up, wrapping it around her body, drinking it in, laughing, crying. Had it only been two days?

Aang looked a little astounded through the haze glow of her healing bending. “How long did they keep you in there, Katara?” His voice was hoarse, horrified.

“Only two days, I think. Don't worry,” She smiled fiercely at him as the glow faded. It would take many more sessions until her arms were truly healed but at least she wasn’t dehydrated, without her element, and injured. "I'm ready for anything."

 

 

When Azula came for them, Katara was ready. She fought with all the skill and cold rage and tenacity of waterbending master under a full moon.

 

When Zuko came for them, Katara was ready. It hurt. It hurt far more than all the wounds Azula had inflicted on her, watching this tall, proud boy fall. Seeing the return of an enemy in the face of someone who could have been a friend.

“I thought you had changed!”

“I have changed.”

 

When the Earthbenders who should have been their allies descended on them, Katara was ready. She gathered her element in and wielded it like a deadly and precise weapon. It was a twisted ballet of bodies and movement. Katara delt out blows as smooth and accurate as a master craftsman.

 

When Aang disappeared into a fortress of stone, Katara was ready. She disposed of one agent after another waiting for him solve this puzzle with his usual flare and goofy smile.

 

When Aang fell…

 

Katara was not ready.

 

Her body reacted, catching him just in time, but her mind remained utterly blank. The impossibility of it left her numb and shaking.

 

When General Iroh defended them, Katara had just enough mental fortitude to wrap them in a current of water and hurtle towards the surface.

 

When Aang’s heart started beating again beneath her fingertips, Katara thought she had never seen something so beautiful in her life.

 

When the four of them curled in a protective ball around their friend that night and tried to find sleep, Katara gazed at the stars and tried not to think about destiny.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have a beta and I absolutely know I missed stuff in here, so feel free to point it out. 
> 
> Hope that wasn't too depressing for y'all. Next week might be pretty dark again but it should get a bit lighter after that.
> 
> Thanks to everyone for Kudo's and comments.


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